Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-11-24
Like a Green Bay-Tree.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

which were clad out in ruins" as Mrs.
Hunter was so anxious to have hers;
they were clever. undensably so; they
We're both red-hot Rad Gals, though
husband and wife had alike come OF
stanoh Conservative families, but as
Euslace Vane was accustomed to re-
mark. when the circumstance was no.
ticed, 1--WE are W ser than our fathers. +"
Those who remembered old SqHire
Vane and the present Mrs. Vane's father
William Lotus. rector of Vanedene, a
v II age about three miles, west of Gar
Hampton, were Of opinion that Eus-
lace Vane was wrong in 81, ing so; but.
of course, wisdom must be more or less
matter of opinion and Euslace Vane,
like any other man in this free and en-
lghtened land OF Liberty. was able to
hold what opinions he chose upon that
subject, ms upon any other.
But it was not on account of their
political opinions that the Garthamp;on
folks ikcncd the Vanes. Of Vanedene.
TO the ungo,lly, who. us the Book says.
flourish Ike n green bay-tree. but be-
/ cause, as few OutsrOken ones graph
ically put it, then beiiered IN nothing.
They had been married more than
five years at the me when our story
begins. OF their political opinions
they made no secret, neither did they
Iat 81
They simply had none: they believed
in nothing. hoped for nothing, looked
for .ng-that was all.
10 such people rs attempted to argue
with them they were perfectly civil and
fir endlv. They said. 1T is very kind
OF you TO try and convince us OF the
truth of Your relig Gus views but
we don't believe in the world to come;
we don't believe in the rcsurrectr on of
the dead. life after death; we don't be-
/ Iicve N heaven, or in the div nc truth
Of the Bible, nor yet in the story of the
| gospel 1t is all very pretty. If you
tlnd pleasure and comfort therein we
have no wish 10 deprive Won of it. We
| don't want you TO be of our way OF
| think no; we don't wish to be unfriend-
| Is about It. We merely wish to be left
alone in our bel eff, VIII ch is in this life
present and moth ng else. We don't go
to church because we don't believe in
God. and we are not hypocrites. We
don't all Sunday with our hands
folded. because we believe the Sabbath
is an institution found BY long exper-
fence to be necessary for the we!l-bo ng
Of people. We have no desire to
| hinder you from YOUR WAY, nor to make
you 90 ours-we only want to be left
! alone"
So, at length left alone on religious
subjects they were Only one lady,
having vivid remembrance of the
dead and gone rector of Vauedene,
suggested to Ii $ daughter that it was
impossible she could believe. really be-
lieve. that she had parted with him
forever when she saw him laid in the
narrow house where we shall all lie
some day.
MY father was very good man."
said Mrs Eusrace Nane gu city. He
served his day and gcnralion fl thfuIly
his good acts will spread in ever
Widening circles down the nevcr-end-
ing ages of eternity. On his grave
stone is written: "His works do follow
him.
"You have actually quoted the book
you profess TO disbelieve!' cried her
friend.
Il acknowledge much OF its WISDOM"
ga Il Mrs. Eustace Vanc, with her SUI
perior SIN Leland after that her friend
gave it up.
However. in spite of their heathenish
life, they were very much sought after
by the Garthampton people. They
were intensely respectable. EuSlace
Vanc would as soon have thought of
making a hole in the river Garth as Of
telling Il lie or breaking faith with the
very poorest of his tenants. They
never guarrelled will each other; their
servants remained with them for much
longer periods than is usual IN these
days Of change, and when they did leave
ther never accused the master and
m stress of DIR mixing. as is the ordinary
way of servants.
True. thew PLAYED tennis and values
on Sunday; and went for long tramps
when other people were at church,
Laura in cotton gown with basket
for mushrooms or wild flowers, as the
season and chance might BE-; Eustace
in KIN ckerbocker suit and straw hat
But they were young and agreeable, so
Garthampton folks made virtue of
shutting their eyes TO the one proceed
ing and their ears 10 the other, and if,
among themselves. they sometimes
talked in shocking whispers, why, the
Vanes never heard them. and if they
had done so would have said. 1--WE are
W ser than our fathers"
Such persons are not n novelty; they
are not entirely an outcome Of tn 8
kings write, "Seest thou man wise in
b own conceit, there is more hope of
fool than OF him." As for the Vanes,
they were truly wise in their own con-
ceit, and continued so, going IN largely
for the higher education of women. en-
tering with Jealous fervour into every
scheme that cropped up for the further
! ance of science or art. Mrs. Eustnce-
as she was still frequently called, though
her husbands mother had been
dead some time-was an accomplished
mus clan, an art st of no mean skill.
and a woman altogether of so strong a
grasp of mind that many people wond-
cred how it had come about that her
spiritual belief was so Numerically
| wrong.
She went in for everything in the wo-
mans rights way-in spite of her not
being herself 'man's left;" she made
speeches at elections in favor of Liberal